Playing To Win (Rogue and dark_d3viant)

[Rogue]

Any word from upstairs?

“No, and there wasn’t 5 minutes ago either”, replies my assistant.

I’d forgive him for wondering if I am watching today’s training at all. Even a light session on the morning of a match day is uncommon, but a win today and we will retain the reserves league title. The tactics and positioning are drilled into their heads one last time, everyone knows what they have to do. It may only be a stepping stone to the first team, but applying themselves in such an important game can only help their hopes of one day no longer being the kid who cleans his idol’s boots. This is how I made my way up. After 3 years in the shadow of the Youth Academy Director, I took his place. Now, I only find myself back in the dugout because with only a few games left in the season, Brian Kershaw left to become assistant manager at Birmingham City. Until a suitable replacement is appointed, I wear the familiar coat with my initials on them.

I never enjoyed coaching to be honest. I only wanted to play, and when my knee prevented me from doing that anymore, the club were only too happy to keep me on in some capacity. While other professionals in my position were out getting their UEFA coaching badges, I finished my business degree. The chairman feels with my popularity with the fans my place is away from the offices and among them, but I have bigger plans. My father, who was on the board in the early 90’s during the glory years, knew that investment in players was key to turning the club around. This time around, we will be out of our depth without similar visionary. I think about these things as one of the youngsters run past me to take a throw in. As our top scorer, O’ Connor will be the one of our most important players this afternoon.

[dark_d3viant]

I can't help but smile openly as I leave the office, clutching my bursting folders to keep my excitement from spilling out. I did it, finally. I'm no longer that lowly secretary, running after everyone's business in this club. Ok, so it was a little more than 'lowly' secretary, but I've basically been working to run this club from under my paper-filled desk in the last 6 months.

As I enter the elevator my mind is swimming with ways to tell everyone, that is until I reach the ground level and glance out the window to notice him. Out there in the cold, coaching and sweating in that coat, yelling like a ruffian. Suddenly, I'm inspired with new ideas on how to announce this exciting new position of mine, and I feel it will make me pretty popular in the club.. that is with all except one person. I find myself glaring out the window, eyes narrowing before the tea lady Rosemary rattles past with her wheeled tray and makes me jump out of my deep thought. She starts to pour teas and starts chatting as usual, except today as I look around she can see me smiling a little more than usual..

"Well, I'm pretty sure you're not smiling about the training" she suggests lightly as she sets me up with a cuppa. She holds up the cup and looks up, raising her eyebrow, waiting. I glance outside and make light eye contact with him. I glance back at Rosemary, and try my best to hold in the news, preferring to tell everyone at the same time later.

"I'm not going to be secretary anymore Rosemary.." Rosemary's face drops as I pause, smile, and continue "I'm moving up in the club. I got promoted - but I'll save the announcement for later, there's a meeting upstairs with the big guys later and I'm being introduced in my new role". Rosemary seems disappointed "I can keep a secret you know".

I smile and hand back my cup. "Yes, I know... I just want to tell everyone at the same time".

I take one last lingering look at that coach and another big grin breaks out, I just can't wait to rub this guy's nose in it. This lowly secretary is going to be in the one position he thought he had nailed. When I leave this hallway and make my way upstairs, everything changes for him..

[Rogue]

When I'm not checking my watch, I glance up at the offices now and then. I briefly see someone behind the blinds but the assistant coach's shout for the end of this morning's session brings me back to pitchside. We collect the cones and footballs, one of them carelessly passed to me to by the substitute goalkeeper. As it rolls away, I bend down and follow it all the way to a pair of high heel shoes. The black stiletto stops it dead and presses into the Nike leather. I lift my head up along female legs and there is only one candidate for this guest appearance. The club secretary stands inside the touchline in her black and white pinstripe suit, so different from the football kits surrounding her. Some of the lads who have hung around to banter wolf whistle as she kicks the football firmly through my own legs and over to the corner flag. They always get a kick out of her and her distracting visits became tiresome long ago.

"You can't be on the grass!" I complain

Her 6 inch heels are tearing up a pitch the groundsman spent time watering and lining. I attempt to escort her off but after being slightly startled at first, she steps back on her own toward the benches. Fixing her brown pinned up hair and organising the sheets in her hand, she has instructions from the first team manager. With promotion secured, today's match is essentially meaningless so he wishes to experiment with some of the younger players. Knowing that I will protest the timing of this decision, he sends the woman to do it for him. The role of our secretary has changed over the years, they are involved with team travel arrangements and players' contracts, but that is all she will amount to.

"Fine, which ones is he taking?"

[dark_d3viant]

Feeling playful, I lap up the footballer’s attention as I kick that ball between my competition’s legs. It’s pretty obvious me even being involved here is irritating him, let alone my heel marks all over his precious pitch. It’s still no excuse for the big brute to manhandle me off the pitch!

Regaining my posture, I flick through the paperwork and find the list of players, slowly tracing my finger down the list and taking my time, teasing the impatience out of him. I know all the other footballers are happy to wait, as my legs are on full display today and a sideward glance confirms that 99% of eyes are on my slender legs, leaning against this bench. It’s just that 1% who seems uninterested in my legs, and more interested in which of his players are up for grabs for the game. Well, let’s see who’s barking orders at who by the end of this week..

I find the first player on the list and announce “Michael Ruck”. After very little reaction I guess that the next player is who he has his intentions on, so I look up to face him, and eye him carefully as I announce the second player.

“Gary O’Connor”

He clenches his fists and mutters under his breath, obviously pissed off. I’m inwardly smiling and give him an over-the-shoulder glance as I make my way towards the coach, leading the players. The team captain is stood nearby, chatting, and draws his attention towards me, and like the 99% his eyes are tracing my legs and figure all the way up to my face. I smile, and flirt openly with the captain, knowing all along that we’re being watched. What’s the harm in having a little fun?

[Rogue]

Her fingers crawl along each sheet, having probably passed the one she wants twice over, knowing that each minute that goes by gives me less time to adjust the team selection. I see a couple of the boys in the corner of my eye laughing quietly and staring at her long legs. With one hand pressed against the bench, she finds the names. Ruck is a modest left back but O' Connor is who this team has been built around all season. This lack of communication between two managers is unacceptable and when I assume my new position in the coming weeks things will greatly improve. The skirt can remain behind her desk too. I mumble to myself, already thinking of a new formation and who to replace these players.

I don't even acknowledge her as she leaves, getting the nearby Ruck to call Gary from the dressing room. They walk down to the car park, being careful to stay outside the white lines on this occasion. The first team's match has an earlier kick off so the bus is probably going to leave soon. I realise my assistant will be one of the last to know of any board room activity so I have to investigate myself. I jog to the entrance even as the coach calls out my name, obviously curious about what changes are to be made. I push open the doors and walk up to reception, impatiently tapping my fingers on the desk as the receptionist finishes with a phone call. The middle aged blonde informs me that the chairman has just stepped out but a meeting he organised was scheduled to start 5 minutes ago. No one told me....

I hear the elevator's beep and rush over to lodge my hand between the doors before it leaves without me. There's only one occupant - the secretary. We both wait for the other to hit the button until I finally do it. I have no idea why that happens, why if she goes 10 seconds without irritating me, I become nervous. My body sometimes does not react the way my mind feels about this woman. Perhaps once I am officially above her at the club there will be more balance and our relationship can improve. I check my watch as she stands in the corner, holding a clipboard and black folder.

“Late?” she asks

[dark_d3viant]

Leaving the pitch and fiddling with my folders as I walk, I’m still entertaining thoughts about that delicious team captain. Pressed up against the shower wall, him playfully teething my body as I groan and writhe, held up by his strong arms…I look up from my thoughts and realize I’m over five minutes late for the meeting!

Dashing towards the receptionist’s desk, my heels are killing me. I’d love nothing more than to just take them off and feel the relief the cool floor would bring… If only I had the opportunity. I fling most of the folders at the receptionist and bark at her “Send these to my desk, would you?” before re-collecting my clipboard and black folder. I straighten up and try to quickly get to the elevator in these torturous heels, just as I hear the doors to reception open up behind. I lean up against the wall inside and sigh, deeply. Finally, I get to make my big announcement, and judging by how I just treated that receptionist, I’m already in my role. I stare at the lit ceiling as the doors begin to close, but are abruptly stopped by a hand, followed shortly by ‘Hunt’, Daniel Hunt, fresh from manhandling me on the pitch.

He looks nervous as he stands there, waiting for me to push the button, so I hold back, curious to see if he’ll demand I do it, or whether he will be the gentleman for once. He moves forward and presses it, finally, and we make our way up. As he checks his watch, I feel the need to break the silence.


“Late?” I enquire.

"Yeah, I just found out about it"

"Me too, late, I went for the heels. Now they're killing me. Have you ever worn heels? You know for like, Halloween or anything?" I glance sideways and smile, feeling he knows nothing of the pain heels can make a woman endure.

He looks at me, silent.

"Well they're torture. But we do it...” I pause to look down at his phone. “Makes the woman's leg look shapelier to the man."

"Well they do, look shapely I mean.....” he hesitates. ”You're going to the big meeting upstairs?"

I look down at my leg, almost admiring it myself, and sigh. My eyes wander to my heels, encasing my feet.

"Yes, and dreading it.....You know....do you mind?" I peel my heels from my tender feet and place them in his hands, as he awkwardly grabs them. I smile sweetly, watching him.

"Eh, I guess...."

He looks on as I exit the elevator first, almost bare feet padding lightly across the floor to the front of the desk where I know they will be well hidden from sight. He resumes a position amongst the busybodies chatting at the other end, while I set my folder and clipboard down and address myself to the waiting staff.

“Gentlemen” I start. “You have all been called here to be the first to know the great news,” I pause, and meet eyes with my current shoe holder, Hunt.

“I am your new Managing Director.”

[Rogue]

It may only be some nonsense about her shoes, but I think she is flirting with me. It is common knowledge that she has been single for a while now and I am one of the youngest men with authority at the club. She types into her phone during our conversation. I don't know why she asks me such a silly question about Halloween, but the mention of her smooth legs and how the height of her heels accentuate them give me permission to look, in a way. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction before, she is beautiful and she knows it. The skirt of her suit is never much lower than her knees while standing. I on the other hand am not appropriately attired, with a navy tracksuit jacket and bottoms.

The details of this meeting have me confused. I assume Chloe is attending to keep the minutes when the promotion is announced but I don't understand how the chairman can be absent. "Do you mind?" interrupts my thoughts as she seems to be serious about the pain in her feet. She bends her legs back one at a time, removing the heels and dropping them into my arms. I fumble them for a moment as I figure out the best way to hold them. I feel awkward about it until she gives me a nice smile, knowing I will allow her to leave the elevator first and watch her walking in front of me. About two dozen employees are talking amongst themselves, the majority of seats are taken so I find a spot at the back of the crowd, clutching the secretary's footwear under my arm. She has lost a few inches on the men she passes by, her hosed feet walking with a purpose to the top of the room. I suppose no one really notices her there at the side of these meetings, taking her notes. I have to glance up again when I realise she is addressing the room.

"I am your new Managing Director", she says.

What is this, a joke? I smile at some of the male staff beside me but they are listening to this speech and taking it seriously. Adam is the only one who responds, he looks almost as surprised as I am.

“In the past 12 months, the club has turned a trading profit, the first time it’s been in the black in its 131-year history. Last week, the team finally achieved promotion to the Premiership and I hope we can continue this success on and off the pitch together.”

She does not realize that we have been in the top tier of English football before, in 1986, but not since the First Division was renamed 14 years ago. I bump into a fellow to my right as I storm out of the room, hearing the tail end of something about a party tonight. I wait in Adam’s office until the “meeting” is over, tapping my foot and anxious for answers. He and my brother have been close friends for several years. “Danny, meet the first female MD in Premiership history”, he says as he enters the room.

“Great, she’s a pioneer now”, I snarl.

I sit on his desk while he stands by the wall with his hands in his pockets. I fidget with a pen and think about how my father must be rolling in his grave. Adam agrees that she is too inexperienced for the role and just as I am saying her name in a sarcastic tone, she peeks in the door and asks if she can come in. I guess aloud why she is here. She’s wondering why I didn’t stay for her entire speech? Why I didn’t wish her good luck?

“Actually, I just wanted my shoes back….”

I pause for a moment and reach for her heels which I left on the table, hooking the pair with two fingers and handing them to her. My friend gives me a curious look. Fucking bitch knew the whole time. The whole time.

[dark_d3viant]

Watching Hunt across the room, as the sentence hit him I knew his gut reaction would be to walk. I wanted to run after him and confront him, put him in his place. But instead I ignored his exit and concentrated on telling everyone else to join me at my celebratory party later on.

After the meeting was over I noticed Hunt had joined Adam in his office, and I made my way over. Looking down at my bare pantyhosed feet, I felt almost naked. The ache was fast wearing off and my feet yearned for a little more support.

I heard my name being mentioned in a sarcastic tone, so I stuck my head around Adam’s door, expecting Hunt to still be pissed off. Hunt fires ahead, trying to guess why I’m here but instead I tell him I want my shoes back.

As I pick them up from Hunt’s hands, I look down on him and notice the tension. I almost want to boast back at him, but instead I stand in the doorway and slowly slip into my heels, visibly pleased to have my feet back into the tight, clinging shoe. I turn to Adam, who is busy watching my feet.

“Adam, you’re still coming to the party later aren’t you?”

He clears his throat and looks up at me, and back down to Hunt, who is glaring at me from behind the desk.
“Yeah.. sure”

He’s hesitant, but I quickly pick up the pace with my charm. “Wonderful, it’ll be great to see you there”.

I smile at them both and make my way over to the MD’s office, to see off the retired MD and get shown to my new quarters. The ex MD is a kind, friendly old man and winks at me as he packs up some boxes. He runs through some procedures I’m not familiar with, coaching me in a way. We walk around my new office, which is overlooking the pitch and very spacious. I sit in the new leather chair and bask in the luxury, and he can see I’m very pleased by my new position.

“Don’t forget there will be a board meeting on Monday to make everything official” he reminds me as he carries his boxes to the door. “Of course”, I smile as I set my folder down on the desk and exhale, triumphant.
Helen, from downstairs sticks her head round the door.
“I just heard” she gushes “Congratulations! Can I get you anything?”
I greet her at the door and ask her to have my laptop and leftover boxes sent up to the office.
“They’re heavy though, so see if you can get hold of someone strong to bring them up. Thanks Helen!”

I fall back into my chair and slip my hand between my foot and heel, massaging the arch while looking over some paperwork. I find myself thinking back over how Hunt glared at me. I think I might have made myself an enemy there.. I wonder if he’ll turn up tonight?

[Rogue]

Using the doorway for support, Chloe slides her bare feet back into her court shoes, much to the enjoyment of my friend Adam. She makes sure he’s going to “her” party, as if I am not even in the room. He nervously confirms he’ll be there, after looking back at me behind his table, rolling my eyes. I see the power is already going to her head, hijacking the club’s traditional end of season party to celebrate her own success. I clench the table to control myself as she leaves the office with that familiar smile.

“You have a foot fetish now?”

“You had her shoes….”, he points out.

“Well I don’t know why she gave them to me, maybe she’s preparing to hire me as her new assistant”

“Could you ask for her knickers next time?” he asks.

A pen is the closest object to me, so I throw it at the cheeky bastard and make my way out. I key the chairman’s number furiously into my phone and pace around the hallway. He says he can only talk for a minute because he is about to take his helicopter to the match. He says the former secretary has been working closely with the MD for a number of weeks incase she was chosen.

“6 months, Jerry, that’s all she’s been here for. Are you sure about this?”

“Chloe is a fast learner, Daniel, everyone knows that, and this was made her for. You know the fans want you managing the first team within a few years, and I want to see that happen too. Now I want another Reserves title today, Danny!”, he comments, before rushing a goodbye.

He has effectively suggested I remain nurturing teenagers for 2-3 years, and my reward will be a role I don’t even want. Yet another man who hasn’t the courage to tell me something face to face and I don’t like how this club is run. I have been jogging down steps during the call after the elevator took too long to come, and I notice Chloe’s old office as I go by. A young man is stacking boxes near the window and something belonging to her catches my eye. While his back is turned, I pocket it and make my way to the exits.

I return a few hours later, generously holding the door for what should have been a fellow board member. The receptionist isn’t at her desk at the moment and I stumble into the elevator. My closed fist pounds the glass behind me when I remember the events from earlier. Finally the beep comes and the doors open. I swing around the corner, careful not to drop my bottle, and it almost happens when I bump into the tea lady. A saucer and empty cup falls to the floor but doesn’t break, so I give her a quick “sorry” and I’m on my way. The old woman gives me a scolding look as I temporarily squash my chivalry and continue walking through the hall. I prepare myself to confront this bitch once and for all, but she has just stepped out too. This place seems to become a ghost town for those 90 minutes on away days.

All her possessions have been transferred to her stunning new office, most of them still in their boxes, spread around the room. I approach the window, noticing my youth team warming up and the crowd beginning to settle into their seats for the game. I take the half full glass of water and pour it into a plant near the desk. This will be perfect for my whiskey.